Intoxicated Romance
by antidotexforxirony
Summary: After what you could call the worst possible summers ever, Hermione and Draco have become different people. It seems like the only people who understand them, is each other.
1. Chapter 1

_Hermione Granger was what most people would call "perfect." She had amazing friends (including the infamous Harry Potter) she got perfect grades, and she went to the Yule ball with none other than Viktor Krum, one of the greatest quidditch players alive. She was a prefect, and was most likely going to be made "Head Girl" She was envied by girls and crushed on by guys. What was it that made her different this summer?_

_Draco Malfoy was someone who couldn't be described in so many words. He was mean, cruel, and just pure evil, but there was something about him that was so...mysterious. What was is about him that was so difficult to understand and see? Was it his pure silver eyes? His silky smooth blonde hair? Or was it something about his evil smirk? What happened this summer that made him so calm, quiet, so…alone?_

"It's not fair," said Hermione Granger. "What did they ever do to _anyone_? They were the kindest people you could _ever_ meet. And out of all people, it was them who suffered." Hermione stood over the two wooden caskets that held her muggle parents. Tears fell down her flushed smooth cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably. "Nothing could control what happened Herm," said Harry.

"Yeah, I guess." As they walked away, and the rain pounded on their faces, Hermione looked back at what was left of her parents, for the last time.

"So...er…Herm do you have everything you need for school?" said Ron trying to cheer Hermione up. "What? Oh yeah school. Erm…yeah I have everything. My parents…." She started sobbing once more.

"I just, I cant believe it. I don't want to believe it. I mean, I love your family Ron, but I would prefer so much more to be in the comfort of my own home with my parents alive."

"Listen father I didn't do anything!" Draco pleaded.

"Don't lie to me Draco! I'm tired of your excuses and your pathetic attitude! Honestly, how is it that you are _my _son?" Lucious Malfoy repeatedly threw spells and curses at his son Draco, as he screamed and cried and pleaded.

"Oh Draco, stop your whining! It puts shame on the Malfoy name. _Crucio!_"

Draco lay there cold, still. "

I'm sorry father. I'm a disgrace to the Malfoy name."

"Ahhh, you're just realizing this now? Well, I have some…ehh…errands to run, so don't bother me. You know Draco, you whine more that that mud blood girl after we killed her parents."

"What? You, you killed Hermione Granger's parents," Draco asked in confusion.

"That's none of your business Draco. Now get all of your things ready for the train tomorrow. I wont be here to accompany you."

"Yes Father."

The next day Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Ginny boarded the Hogwarts Express. They found an empty compartment for all of them to share. Hermione was quiet the whole time. Her usual awake, alert self seemed to have disappeared. That sparkle in her chocolate brown eyes, was no longer there. She was startled by a knock on the compartment door. There she saw a paler, sadder Draco Malfoy.

"What do you want Malfoy," snarled Harry.

"Ohhh easy Potter. I just need somewhere to sit."

"What's wrong with your moron bodyguards Crabbe and Goyle," asked Ron.

"Nothing. I just don't feel like sitting with them, and all of the other compartments are full. Look, I'm not gonna bother you, I just need somewhere to sit." Harry looked at Ron and then to Hermione.

"Ugh, just let him stay. It'll shut him up," Hermione said.

"Well, someone's in a bad mood."

"SHUT UP MALFOY I DIDN'T ASK FOR A STUPID COMMENT!" Draco just stared at her shocked, and surprisingly, aroused. He sat down in the seat opposite her wondering if that was the best choice.

"Um…if you don't mind me asking," Hermione looked away from the window at him, "why are you so…nasty today?"

"All right Malfoy get out," scolded Ron.

"If you wanna stay in here without any problems keep your mouth shut!"

Then it came to Draco, _"you whine more that that mud blood girl after we killed her parents." _He looked at her with pleading eyes, and Hermione knew right away, he could see the pain that crawled inside her veins. Then, in a voice so low, almost like a whisper, Draco said to her,

"I'm sorry." To hear those words of sympathy and asking for forgiveness, Hermione realized, Draco could really tell how she was feeling. He could see she was miserable. He knew what she was saying, even if not a single word came out of her mouth.

For the rest of the train ride, they all sat in silence. When the train came to a stop, they all got their things, and headed towards Hogwarts. In the Great Hall, while everyone was stuffing their faces with turkey legs and potatoes, Hermione just sat there staring at her empty plate. Neither Harry, nor Ron noticed that she wasn't eating, that her depression was eating her alive, or the fact that she wasn't talking at all for the first time in her life. Hermione looked at them with a face of pure disgust, and walked away.

"Hey, where are you going," shouted Ron. Hermione just kept walking, ignoring him. Draco heard Ron shout and looked up to see Hermione storming out of the Great Hall.

"Library," Draco mumbled to himself. Draco got up and headed to the library as fast as he possibly could. When he reached the library he saw her. She was hiding her sobbing behind a book hoping not to draw attention to herself. Suddenly Hermione felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm promising you right now, everything is going to be okay." She recognized this soft whisper. It was Draco. She looked in his silver, mysterious eyes, and started crying on his shoulder.

"Listen, I know it's hard to do this but, you have to trust me when I tell you everything will be fine. I wont ever break this promise." Hermione nodded and continued her crying. Draco wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked into her chocolate brown eyes.

"I don't really think this is the best place for someone to be crying." Hermione cracked a very small smile and stood up. The two of them walked up to the astronomy tower. Hermione grew curious.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Draco looked at her and merely smirked.

"No one deserves to go through what you're going through right now." Hermione's spirits slightly lifted when she heard this.

"People's parents die everyday. I'll get over it, but it's just really hard right now."

"Well, yeah, there is your parents deaths, but there is also the fact that your friends don't give a shit. They can't see how miserable you are. Well, they don't bother trying to see. Or understand." Hermione knew he was right.

"And you do," Hermione asked.

"I do. Shockingly, I have a heart." Hermione laughed. Draco smiled and said,

"You don't have to make it seem _that_ hard to believe."

"Do you believe in love," Hermione asked.

"That wasn't random at all," Draco said sarcastically. Hermione smiled.

"But no, I don't. I believe in lust, not love." Hermione looked slightly disappointed.

"We better head to our common rooms. We don't want your friends to worry now do we?" Hermione laughed at his sarcasm. They walked back down together, but then parted ways to go to their common rooms. Draco merely looked at her and then headed to his dorm.

"Wait Draco!" He turned around. Hermione ran to him and said, "Thank you. For everything." He smiled and said,

"Night Hermione."

When she entered the common room, she saw what she believed to be the most disgusting sight ever. Harry was snogging Ginny and Ron was snogging Lavender…again. It was like their faces were glued together. The girls were all over them. It was such a horrific sight. Just looking at it made Hermione feel like she was going to throw up. Hermione looked at Neville who seemed to be covering his eyes.

"I don't blame him. Poor boy, he must be scarred for life," Hermione mumbled to herself. Deciding she had seen enough, Hermione went up to her dorm. She sat there for what seemed like hours, staring out her window. All she thought about was how much Draco understood her and how he was right about everything he said that evening. But most of all, she thought about how disappointed she was when he said he didn't believe in love.

"Lust? Well, I'm sure if her met the right girl he would change his mind," Hermione said to herself. Why was she saying this? Why was it bothering her so much? "I don't like him. I mean, come one, he's Draco Malfoy. He isn't the kind of boy you fall in love with. Well, Pansy Parkinson did, but she's a different story. I had a normal conversation with him for the first time in my life today. I can't just fall in love with him after one talk versus six years of torture. Can I?" All of this confusion was giving Hermione a headache. She laid in her four posters bed, and fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

A sudden bright light had awoken Hermione Granger after she was dreaming of a boy with mysterious grey eyes.

"Ugh, why does the sun have to be so bright?" she said to herself. She lay back down and stared at the ceiling, trying to remember whom it was that she was dreaming about.

"Grey eyes as pure as ice. Hair as pale as lightning. Oh my God. I was dreaming about Draco!" She was petrified, thinking that a boy like that could be in such an amazing dream of hers.

She decided to head down to the common room and clear out her thoughts. She sat in a chair and merely stared at the fire. It was such an entrancing thing, fire. It mesmerized you with one single glance.

"Hey Hermione," said a voice from behind her, that made her jump.

"Oh, hi Harry. Hi Ron," she said, trying to sound like she was happy to see them.

"What were you doing Herm," asked Ron

"Oh nothing. Just thinking about Dra…I mean…er… about what I should change in the essay we had to write for potions."

"Figures," Ron and Harry said simultaneously.

Together they headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. They sat at their usual seats at their usual end of the table. Unfortunately, Lavender was already waiting for Ron at the table, and happened to be sitting in Hermione's seat.

"Um, Lavender, would you mind moving over so I can sit in my seat?"

"Um, Hermione, no. You can find another seat. I'm sitting next to my _Won-Won_," said Lavender. Hermione couldn't help but laugh at her little name for Ron.

"Whatever," Hermione stated. "I'm not that hungry anyway. See you later Harry and, you too _Wonnie_." She had the biggest smile on her face, and was quite satisfied that she had just embarrassed Ron to the point where his face was redder than his hair.

It was off to the library for Hermione, again. But something was different this time. It almost seemed like she was trying to avoid the library by taking every detour as possible. Before she knew it, she was near the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Suddenly she heard footsteps and decided to walk away, knowing this wasn't her territory.

"Hermione?" called a voice from behind her.

She turned around startled to hear her name being shouted across a corridor. Hermione looked at the person whose voice that belonged to. It was Draco.

"Is there a reason why you're down here," he asked her.

"Um…I…well, I was, uh on my way to the library! Yeah, the library because, you know, I was going to read books and, uh, study for…err…potions?" She lied.

"Right, potions. Well, I hate to break it to you, but the library is all the way on the other side of the school, but you know that. So, I don't get it. Out of all the people in this school, I know for a fact that _you_ would **never** forget where the library is. I mean come on, that place is like your second home," Draco said to her.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean? I do not _live_ at the library! I just happen to like getting good grades, but of course, that's something you wouldn't know about would you?" As soon as Hermione finished her sentence, Draco's ears began to turn red out of fury.

"Who do you think you are talking to me like that? You might know a lot about this world Hermione, but you know **nothing** about me, so don't even act like you're an expert on my life story!" he screamed to Hermione.

"Draco you have _got_ to be kidding me. I mean honestly, who _doesn't _know about your life? Your father was a foul, cruel and horrible person whose only loyalty belonged to the most powerful, yet evil wizard in the world! And of course there is the fact that everyone knows you're going to be the next death eater in the family. You're just like your father Draco, a spitting image."

Hermione was shocked with she just said to him, but the person who was more shocked was the person she said it to. It had been years that Draco crushed on Hermione, and to know what she thought about him really did tear him up inside. At the moment she said that, he could feel the mixture of hate, deception, and love shred up his insides. He was furious. Furious because she said such a thing to him, furious because he knew she was right, furious because he loved her.

"Draco, I didn't mean it," she pleaded with him.

"No, Hermione, stop. You said enough. If you didn't mean it, it wouldn't have been said."

"No, Draco really, I'm sorry, I don't..."

"I SAID STOP HERMIONE! I don't need, nor do I want to hear your explanation. Crabbe, Goyle lets go."

They stormed off to the Great Hall for breakfast. Hermione felt guilty, but she couldn't help but be furious at him. She couldn't explain what it was about him, but no matter how much she loathed him, she knew that she would pay anything to see him smile they way he did the previous night. He made her feel like a whole new person. A person she only saw when she was with him. How someone so rank and vile could make her shine like a star in only one day was a mystery to her, but Hermione was in no rush to find out how he did it.

* * *

It was off to History of Magic for Hermione, and she was anything but excited. Harry, Ron, and Lavender were in that class so she wasn't exactly looking forward to being ignored and having Lavender attempt to make her jealous with Ron. Considering she is the only person in Hogwarts who isn't bored to death by Professor Binns, they'll all be too busy sleeping, so maybe she wouldn't be that annoyed after all.

Well, it looks like Hermione was wrong about this class. She was exhausted and practically mesmerized by Professor Binns' droning. She didn't get much sleep last night, but she never actually fell asleep in class before. Lavender began to kick the back of Hermione's chair so she would look her and Ron together. Normally, Hermione would have yelled at her by now, but today she was so tired and so out of focus, she didn't even bother giving Lavender that satisfaction.

Hermione watched Professor Binns glide around the room. How could he not know he was dead? He is, or was, very old, he's got all of the qualities of a ghost, he's been told a numerous amount of times of his death, and yet he still refuses to believe it. Hermione thought to herself,

_"Anyone with half a brain would think being able to go through walls would be a huge giveaway. He knows all about old wizards and what they're famous for, and nevertheless I bet he can't name one of them that could go through walls while alive."_

Hermione couldn't help but smile at how thickheaded Professor Binns must be. In spite of everything, this class might not be as obnoxious as she assumed it to be.


	3. Chapter 3

Hours went by, and it was now time for Defense Against the Dark Arts. After Dumbledore was murdered by Snape and is still missing, the **real** Professor Alastor Moody took the position. The ex-auror still had the personality of a chair, and still wouldn't take any excuses from anyone, and yes that included Harry Potter.

Surprisingly Hermione wasn't the first person there. She walked past the desk that sat Draco Malfoy. She stared into his eyes, and could only feel guilt. She looked at the door, only to find that Harry and Ron were coming, so she wanted to try something and see if they even noticed. Hermione pulled out the chair next to Draco, and sat down. Everyone was looking, but unfortunately the only people who weren't looking were the ones she wanted to be staring at her. Hermione cursed under her breath as millions of thoughts ran through her head.

"Were you really expecting them to pay attention?" she heard a familiar voice ask. It was Draco.

"No, not really. But I guess what I wanted took over the best of what the truth is. It's just all too confusing right now. I mean, you wouldn't really understand but I'm going through a lot right now." Hermione's eyes began to swell and tried to choke back tears.

"You'd be surprised. But then again I guess not. I mean, considering you know _so_ much about me, right?" Draco said with sarcasm.

"Shut up, Malfoy. You know me and everyone else in this school thinks the same thing"

"Yeah, I know. It's too bad no one takes the time out to know the real me." He suddenly regretted saying that, but he looked into Hermione's eyes and knew he could trust her.

"Don't Crabbe and Goyle know everything about you?" she asked Draco.

"Ha there's a laugh. They don't even know how to count to ten."

Hermione snorted, "That's very true. Well, have you ever thought that maybe people have tried to get to know you, but you're not willing to show them? I mean, to be quite honest Malfoy, you push people away from you."

"SCILENCE!" roared Professor Moody. "Mr. Malfoy and Miss. Granger, I'd like to see you after class!"

It was then that Harry and Ron realized that Hermione was missing.

"What in bloody hell is she doing sitting with HIM?!" asked Ron

"I have no idea. First she let him sit with us on the train, and now she's sitting with him for class. Do you think they're like…together?" Harry asked Ron nervously.

"Of course not! I mean, sure Hermione has had her share of bad picks in a boyfriend, but she isn't THAT idiotic. Well, she isn't that _desperate_, is she?"

"To be honest Ron," Harry confessed, "I really don't know. We haven't talked to her in at least three days. And besides, I highly doubt it since she's liked you since our first year." As soon as Harry finished his sentence Ron's eyes grew bigger then Moody's fake one.

"WHAT?! Hermione **liked** me? As in she wanted to be my girlfriend?" Ron couldn't even speak right he was so shocked.

"You can't be serious, Ron. It's been obvious ever since the troll incident when we were eleven!"

"But, Harry, if it was that obvious then how come I never knew?"

"Well, you're a Weasley. You're stubborn and thick headed."

Ron grinned. "Yeah, you're right. Maybe I'll talk to her later or something. See if she wants to go to Hogsmede with me."

Harry thought it was a good idea, but then he said, "That could work if there wasn't one problem."

"What's that Harry?"

"You have an over obsessed girlfriend."

"Ah, good point."

"POTTER, WEASLEY DO YOU WANT TO SEE ME AFTER CLASS AS WELL?"

"No Professor," both Harry and Ron replied.

Hermione and Draco packed their things up very slowly since they had to meet with Professor Moody after class.

"Listen you two," Moody began to scold them, "I don't care if you are a 'couple' now or best mates, or anything. I don't care. There is absolutely NO talking in my class and I mean that! Do you understand?"

"Yes Professor," they said in unison.

The long and "interesting" day ended with Potions. Professor Slughorn apprehensively agreed to continue as the Professor, but he was still uncomfortable having Harry in his class. Unfortunately, Ron and Harry didn't hesitate to barricade Hermione on her risqué behavior in the previous class.

"Are you mad, Hermione?" Ron scolded.

"Excuse me?" Hermione pretended to be confused.

"Don't play dumb with me Hermione. You know damn well what I'm talking about, so don't give me that sarcastic attitude to make _me_ look like the fool!" said Ron

"Oh well, look who decided to finally care!" Hermione was fuming.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" asked Ron.

"Look who's playing the fool now. Look I don't have time for your pathetic remarks, and quite frankly I could care less what you think about me. It's not like you even noticed that I was alive. You've been too busy with _'your wittle Lavender'_" Hermione now felt more then triumphant.

She walked, well stormed off in the classroom and again, took a seat next to Malfoy.

"So, did…"

"Malfoy don't act like you don't know what happened. Like it wasn't predictable." Hermione felt bad for being rude, but can you blame her for being angry?

"You know _Granger_," he emphasized her last name, "I'd appreciate it if you called me by my name."

"That _is_ your name."

"No, my name is Draco. Malfoy is a label. A label that I no longer want to represent." Draco said.

"Oh, I get it. You're trying to prove yourself now? You can change your name, your look, even your personality, but everyone will still have the same opinion of you." Hermione was honest with him, even though she probably should have thought a bit more of what she was going to say.

"Oh yeah? And I take it that your opinion of me hasn't changed, so that's why you're sitting next to me, talking to me, staring into my eyes…"

"I was not! I was simply making eye contact!" Hermione blushed. Was it _that_ obvious?

"Oh, my apologies Miss _Granger_" He smiled. Can you tell that Draco amused himself?

"Oh shut up." Hermione couldn't help but smile too.

Hermione could feel that stranger coming alive. How did Draco do it? This whole new person taking over her was someone completely different then the Hermione everyone knew. It was also weird that Hermione was seeing someone other then the Draco everyone knew. What was going on here? Could anyone else see the people overwhelming the two of them and proving their typical stereotypes wrong? Hermione told herself over and over again that she didn't care what was going on, but she was terrible at convincing herself. If she couldn't believe herself, then who's to say anyone else would?


	4. Chapter 4

"Bon Appetite!" Neville Longbottom said to himself while stuffing mashed potatoes in his mouth for dinner.

"Hermione, can I ask you something?" Ginny Weasley's soft voice startled Hermione.

"Uh, sure." Hermione was still in 'dream mode' after a confusing Potions class.

"Do you like that Malfoy boy?"

"Draco? Oh, no I mean we're just friends. Well, not even friends. We just talk on rare occasions. Nothing more." Hermione couldn't admit to her that she might actually have _feelings_ for none other then Draco Malfoy.

'Lucky' for Draco, he overheard everything Hermione said to Ginny as he was coming to greet her. Why did he feel such sorrow and betrayal? It's not like they really _were_ friends. They had only been talking for a few days now. She was only telling Ginny the truth. _"Not even friends?" _Draco thought to himself. _"Maybe she's not who I thought she was. I guess she does care what people think of her. God forbid the perfect prissy little Hermione Granger even associated with the cruel 'death eater' Draco Malfoy." _Draco still couldn't get these thoughts out of his head. He couldn't even eat at this point. What were these feelings taking over him? He knew he liked Hermione ever since their first year at Hogwarts, but his feelings never seemed _that_ serious. Was it possible that he liked the Hermione he knew for 6 years, but he felt a lot more for the Hermione he saw whenever they were together. Yeah, that had to be it. When they were together, her eyes sparkled brighter then the stars in the sky, and the sound of her laughter was like listening to angels sing. The biggest giveaway was the fact that her smile never left his mind. He longed to see her in class. When she smiled her perfect smile, Draco felt the butterflies glide in his stomach. She made him feel like he could be whoever he wanted to be, and that was a first for Draco.

"Draco, where are you going? We want to come!" food fell out of Crabbe's mouth as he spoke.

"The library. I want to be alone, so you can just keep shoving food in whatever room left in your mouth."

"OKAY!" and of course, they continued to eat like it was their first meal in weeks.

Hermione watched as Lavender was all over Ron. "Ugh, how vulgar."

Ginny giggled at Hermione's remark.

Hermione smiled. "I don't know how you put up with this."

"Well, if I'm not with Harry, I'll go someplace quiet where I can think peacefully."

"Like, the library?" Hermione asked.

"Well, if that's a relaxing place for you, then yes. As for me, the library bores me to tears." Ginny was so amused, she then pretended to yawn and rub her eyes.

"Well, aren't you quite the actress. I think I'm going to go to the library now and get some studying done. I'll catch up with you later, Ginny"

"Sounds good. And if I get too repulsed, I'll bring my pillow and join you" Ginny smiled and waved goodbye to Hermione as she walked out of the Great Hall on her way to the library.

"Good evening Miss Granger." Greeted Madame Pince, the librarian.

"Good evening Madame Pince. Have you received any new books for this year?"

"Ah, can't say that I have. If you give me a list of some you recommend for the library, I'll see if the Headmistress will purchase them." Madame Pince favored Hermione.

"Thank you Madame. I'll come by sometime this week with a list."

"Sounds wonderful. I'll see you soon Hermione." Madame Pince began to walk away. "Oh, and Miss Granger, I'm sorry to hear about your parents. They were good people." She sympathized for Hermione.

"Thank you. It really means a lot to me." Hermione felt the tears coming.

Hermione grabbed a random book and hid her face behind it and cried…again. When she finally managed to calm herself down, she looked around the library as if to find something unusual. She saw Draco sitting alone and struggling with what looked like the Transfigurations homework.

"Need any help?" Hermione was glad to see Draco, although she couldn't say the same for him.

"No, I'm fine." He didn't even look at her once.

"Is there something wrong?" Hermione seemed worried now.

He slammed his book shut and said, "No, everything is just dandy. But then again, why would you care? It's not like we're _friends_ or anything. We only talk on _rare occasions._"

"You heard me?" Hermione's face couldn't be any redder.

"Oh, was I not supposed to? Were you planning on saying that behind my back?" Draco was furious and couldn't help but yell at her.

"No, I just…I don't know, but I didn't mean what I said. I am your friend, and you're mine in return. I just don't know if I'm ready for everyone to whisper in each others ears saying _"That's Hermione Granger. She's friends with Draco Malfoy, so she's probably a leader of You-Know-Who"_ because you say you're not following in your father's footsteps, and I'm not following in yours."

Draco was shocked by Hermione's honesty. "What do you mean _'you say you're not following in your father's'_? I'm never going to be like my father, and you should know that by now. I hate everything about him. I cringe whenever people say my last name! I want absolutely nothing to do with him, so what makes you think I'm going to become a death eater?"

"Draco, relax. I know you're not going to become your father, but I'm one out of everyone else. They say 'they know' you're going to be a follower of the Dark Lord, and they always will. I've told you this tons of times before, so why is it that it's so hard to believe? You've convinced people that you're a copy of him for 7 years now, so just because you finally say you're not isn't going to make people think otherwise. Especially after what happened with Dumbledore…"

"DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT!" Draco screamed.

"Quiet in the library! I expected more of you Miss Granger!" scolded Madame Pince.

"Sorry Madame Pince." Hermione apologized

In a low whisper Hermione spoke to Draco. "Look, you obviously need some time to cool down. I'll go do the Transfigurations homework somewhere else. I'll see you whenever you decide to finally face the facts." With that, Hermione apologized to Madame Pince once more, and then stormed out of the library.

Could Draco just let her walk out like that? Of course he could! Draco always let people walk out of his life. But, this was Hermione Granger who was someone so different then the rest, someone who he'd chase forever just to spend one moment holding her in his arms. So if that was the case, then why couldn't he move? Why did he feel like his feet were cemented to the ground? _'It's because I'm a pathetic coward.' _Draco thought to himself. _'She's exactly right. Everything she said about me is true. People do think that I worship the Dark Lord, and that I'll be his follower one day. People still think to this day that I was the one who killed Dumbledore. I am my father, but only on the outside. So how can I show to everyone that I'm nothing like him on the inside?'_

Finally, he managed to walk towards the exit, and to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Password?" asked the portrait of the Fat Lady

"I'm not a Gryffindor, I'm just looking for one."

"Well, that's not my forte. You must now be gone and back to your own wing."

"Please," he begged, "it's important! Can you at least have someone get her for me?"

"I'm sorry but you must leave this instant!" the Fat Lady bellowed.

He did as he was told and walked away. His mind was spinning with millions of thoughts. He had to rest, so he lay on the wall.

"Longbottom!" he shouted as the scrawny Gryffindor walked by. Draco scared him to be whiter then Sir Nicholas himself.

"I didn't do anything, I swear!" Neville was almost in tears.

"No, no I know you didn't do anything. I was just wondering if you knew where Hermione was."

"Hermione? Have you checked the library?" Neville asked.

"Um, yeah. And I wanted to see if she was in the Common Room, but obviously I can't see for myself. So do you think you could see if she's in there for me?"

"Sure, just give me a moment." Said Neville a lot calmer then he was 2 minutes ago.

Neville walked up to the portrait concealing the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Password?"

"Gillyweed!" replied Neville.

The portrait swung open.

"Wait here. If I find her, I'll tell her you're waiting for her out here."

"Okay, thank you Longbottom…err, I mean Neville." Draco said.

"Wow, that's the first time you ever called me by my name. I assumed you forgot it by now…" Neville then thought of all the times Draco tormented him in previous years.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Draco apologized.

Neville entered the common room, and Draco waited for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly a face he recognized popped out of the entrance.

"I'm sorry Draco, but she's not in the Common Room, or in her dorm."

"Ugh, well thanks anyway Neville" Draco said in a disappointed tone.

He walked around the corridors wondering where she might be. After an hour of searching he finally decided it was time to clear out his mind with was now filled with even more thoughts. What better place to relax then the Astronomy Tower?

It was as he could feel the weight being lifted off his shoulders as he opened the door to the Astronomy Tower. The wind seemed to lift his spirit into the air, and for once, he felt free. All he could think about was Hermione. He thought about her strong, glassy chocolate colored eyes, staring at his weakness. A melody started to play in his head and he couldn't resist but to sing.

"He has a beautiful voice," Hermione Granger whispered to herself. She too, was at the Astronomy Tower. She was sitting close to the edge, so Draco couldn't see her.

Draco sang at the top of his lungs now.

"This is for YOU Hermione! If only you could hear the truth."

And he sang,

"_We live on front porches and swing life away,  
we get by just fine here on minimum wage_

If love is a labor I'll slave till the end,  
I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand"

"What?" Hermione was bewildered. "Me? But that song is about…love." That's when it hit her. She flashed back to a time when she was talking to her mother:

"Mum, why do boys have to be so rude?" The young Hermione asked her mother.

"Why, who's being rude to my brilliant daughter?" Alice Granger asked her daughter.

"This boy Draco! He's such a vile person! I can't stand the sight of him."

"Well, darling usually when a boy is mean to a girl, that means he likes her."

The eleven-year-old girl was shocked.

"EW! Draco Malfoy likes me? That's horrid!"

Her mother laughed. "Well, that may be so, but I'm sure if you give him time, he'll prove himself to be a better person."

"Mum, you can't possibly be serious. He's a jerk and I don't want anything to do with him." The girl yelled.

"If you say so. Now Hermione Jane, it's time for bed. Goodnight sweetheart."

When Hermione came back to reality the soothing voice of that "vile person" she once talked about in disgust was still singing a beautiful melody.

Draco was about to continue to the next verse, but a voice that could be compared to one of a nightingale reached his ears.

"I've got some friends, some that I hardly know  
But we've had some times, I wouldn't trade for the world  
We chase these days down with talks of the places that we will go"

"Hermione, I didn't know you were up here…I"

Hermione laughed. "Are you always this bad at talking to girls?"

Draco's pale complexion now turned a rosy red. "Well, I'm just embarrassed. No one has heard me sing before."

"That's a shame," said Hermione, "you have an incredible voice."

"I can say the same for you."

"Why, thank you. Now, exactly how did you know that that's my favorite song? I didn't think any purebloods knew muggle music" Hermione stilled smiled with every word she said.

Draco grinned, "Well, I'm not your ordinary pureblood."

"Trust me, I knew that long before now." Still smiling.

Draco was still smiling as well, "Is that so? Would you like a prize for that?"

Hermione laughed, "As a matter of fact, I would love a prize."

"Oh then how may I serve you, O Great One?" asked Draco sarcastically.

"Something I'll never forget, something that will have a lot of meaning behind it. Also, I'd like something that's passionate and real. If you can find me something with all of those qualities, I'd be very satisfied." Hermione waited as Draco was thinking.

"Well," Draco said, "I think I may just have the perfect thing."

Hermione smiled even bigger now like a child walking into Honeydukes for the first time. Draco slowly walked up to Hermione.

"I hope this exceeds your expectations, Miss Granger" and suddenly, Draco moved in further, as his lips met hers.


End file.
